What To Know About Military Adoption and Foster Care

Every child deserves to grow up with a safe and loving family, with the care and support of their community. The War Department knows that adoption and foster care are great ways to start or grow your family and offers support to military families fostering and adopting family members.

You are also eligible for substantial financial support from the DOW when you adopt, including assistance with adoption costs, tax credits and other benefits.

Military adoption and foster care processes and other considerations

Adopting a child can take several months to years and can cost thousands of dollars. The mobile military life is not a barrier to adoption and foster care, and service members have several military adoption benefits.

Before you explore resources for adoption and foster care below, read these important factors:

1. Adoption and foster care options: The adoption process is a journey. Start yours by exploring adoption options to learn which option will be best for your family.
2. Timelines and impacts of moving and deployment: Adoption can take a long time. Be prepared for home visits, background checks and plenty of paperwork. Whenever possible plan ahead as moving or deploying during this process could put things on hold or cause you to repeat steps. If you’re considering foster parenting, start that process well before your next PCS. Learn more by researching state, territory and tribal resources for adoption and foster parenting.
3. Living overseas: Look for an agency experiences in working with U.S. citizens living abroad. Living overseas can complicate required criminal background checks. Your agency or military law enforcement office at your overseas duty station may be helpful here.
4. Traveling issues: If adopting from another state or country, you’ll likely need to travel. This can pose an issue for service members who may not have as much flexibility. Discuss this early with your agency to come up with a plan.
5. Reimbursement for expenses: Thanks to the War Department Adoption Reimbursement Policy, you can claim up to $2,000 per child and $5,000 per calendar year in reimbursement for certain adoption expenses.
6. Parental leave: Service members may be eligible for 12 weeks of non-chargeable, paid parental leave to welcome a child into their family through birth, adoption or long-term foster care.
7. Health insurance: Register adopted children in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System, or DEERS, first and foremost. After the child is registered in DEERS, the sponsor must enroll the child in TRICARE within 90 days of the adoption date. Reach out to adoption consultants for assistance with understanding these details and timelines.
8. Tax credits: Families adopting a child may qualify for a tax credit and income exclusion benefit to help offset adoption costs. If you can’t use all the credit in one year, it may be carried forward for up to five years.

Military OneSource adoption and foster care resources

Military OneSource can connect you to the resources and information you need to make informed decisions about adopting or fostering a child. Whether you are beginning the process or have questions during the process, add Military OneSource, AdoptUSKids and Child Welfare Information Gateway to your list of contacts.

Military OneSource adoption consultants are specially trained in military adoptions and foster care essentials and help you navigate the process and can provide customized guidance for your family’s situation.

Learn how Military OneSource provides support and resources for all parts of the adoption or foster care process.

Adoption information and resources are also available through the Child Welfare Information Gateway. The site also has a topic area for foster care, including contact information for state foster care program managers.

Whether you’re just starting to think about foster care or adoption, or you have already grown your family and have questions, you can depend on Military OneSource for 24/7 assistance. Connect with an adoption specialty consultant today.

Military OneSource adoption specialty consultations are available to active-duty, National Guard and reserve service members (regardless of activation status) and their immediate families. Call 800-342-9647, view international calling options or log in to start a secure live chat with a Military OneSource consultant.